Conversations on tracking in Mathematics are annoying. It’s presented as “is tracking good or bad?” when it’s obvious that at some point between middle school and college it becomes good. Moreover, it’s highly dependent one the variability in student math experience (note I did NOT say ability) Too wide of a spread and you have an unreachable class.
Math progresses from enrichment (challenge problems, school clubs) to a spread in subjects between grade 5 and grade 11.
It’s absolutely true that tracking too early and in particular *labeling* a child good or bad at math can have… consequences. How to avoid the dreaded “i’m not a math person” mentality? How to show students that needing more time or a different pace need not mean you won’t get as far?
How to make room for maturity in thinking and study skills descending from the heavens into the teen brain (such as it is) at different ages?
@futurebird I think I only got into math after my parents managed to get me some one on one sessions with a tutor. Very thankful to have had the opportunity to do so. I'm still not "a math person" but I think it was nice to get over the barrier of thinking there was nothing in it for me at all.
